Critchley's fault

BFC_BFC_BFC said:
It’s a bit of a kick up the backside today tbh. It’s certainly made me realise we’re definitely not going to be Top Two material this season. Well not without improving.

They just looked quite a bit better than us… and I’m not convinced it would have mattered who we selected.
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Course it would have mattered 😂 how can not playing better players not make a difference in the result.
 
hertfordseasider said:
And that, in a nutshell was what I was trying to say. We will be there or there about, he just got it wrong today.
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That may well have been what you meant to say but it came across as very knee jerky and almost tearful emotional .
No one likes losing and it's gutting at the time but all part of the game .
 
Critchley needs to set us up to be more attacking and take the game to the opposition. It's never going to work being cautious and defensive especially at home when you have a crowd and fanbase that expect the team to attack and are restless when we don't. It feeds into the players and makes them nervous too.
 
NewburyOne said:
That midfield was never going to be good enough, Dougall aside Carey and Oakley-Boothe were shocking in the first half. In fairness to Carey his performance in the 2nd half was the best he's played this season. The red card killed us, as did the referee with one of the most biased displays. The players will be gutted but they shouldn't be, to play as well as they did with 10 men and get back into a game most would have given up on, deserves great praise. They just need to forget about it and move on. As for Critchley he needs to grow a pair and start being more positive. We desperately need Norburn back.
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Spot onski 👌
 
mull said:
That may well have been what you meant to say but it came across as very knee jerky and almost tearful emotional .
No one likes losing and it's gutting at the time but all part of the game .
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It wasn't meant to be, it was a good game just the wrong result but sometimes you want us to go for it from the start. like we did on Tuesday night. We aren't going to win every game and I think we will be top 8 as Posh will be.
 
I’m amazed Simon Sadler hasn’t had a word with him, he made it clear when he bought the club that he wanted attacking, entertaining football, yet he continues to start games with a negative approach.
 
BFC_BFC_BFC said:
It’s a bit of a kick up the backside today tbh. It’s certainly made me realise we’re definitely not going to be Top Two material this season. Well not without improving.

They just looked quite a bit better than us… and I’m not convinced it would have mattered who we selected.
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They looked a lot better than us for almost the entire first half, but we had them worried after Dembele came on, and could have scored a couple in the aftermath of 3-0. That lad seems to raise everybody's game. Even Carey's, significantly.
 
How he hasn't seen Poku running a free roll in the pockets is very worrying. It was so obvious and then what happens, he scores the first round the back post (Though CJ not tracking his man was the catalyst for the 1st goal)

Let's face it though, in all honesty they're a good side. Looked a lot more technically adept than we did today or do in general for that matter... The blame isn't solely on Critchley but he does have to take it with some of the bizarre decisions he made.
 
hertfordseasider said:
And that, in a nutshell was what I was trying to say. We will be there or there about, he just got it wrong today.
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We can debate Critchley and / or the starting line up all day long, BUT what isn’t up for debate is that individual errors & giving the ball away far too cheaply cost us 4 goals and a penalty conceded today. And why Oakley Booth is anywhere near a football pitch is beyond reason ( yes that is Critchley‘s choice. He was like a scared rabbit in headlights today.
 
Simple matter is you never going to win a game, even at this level, playing Oakley Boothe, Carey and Kouassi. I like Thompson but offers nothing going forward in that wing back position. We were so short today and Peterborough looked such a better team.
 
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I’ve not read the thread so apologies for repeating what has been said. Completely the wrong starting line up today.

I appreciate you cannot start the same 11 for 46 games but we chop and change the starting line up too much based on the opposition. Let the opposition worry about us. Lavery had his best game for ages on Tuesday and Dembele has to start behind the front 2. It seems like critch daren’t start him against the better teams.

We have the strongest squad in the division and the best number 9. Top 2 should certainly be realistic. He’s not getting the most out of the squad.
 
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TangerineTom said:
Get a grip. We were in free fall last year and Critch has steadied the ship. We came up against a good side and lost, but we’re progressing well and the team is on course for top 6 easily.

‘The fist pumps are embarrassing’ …. It’s a bit embarrassing how some fans can’t get over the fact he left us well over a year ago now.
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We were in free fall in a higher division . We are now in a poorer division with players that have played at a higher level . Most managers should be able to keep us in the top half of this division with the players we have and in respect to he left us over a year ago does not make him someone that could be trusted . If you haven't formed a personality by the time you are middle aged you never will and he was so up himself he could not be bothered with the fans that adored him.
 
hertfordseasider said:
I'm sorry but Critchley is his own worst enemy, he overthinks everything far too much, he lacks that thing supporters love, attacking intent, the fist pumps make me sick. He is too negative and he changes the team far too much. Why can't he play the likes of Dembele from the start? He is just far too negative which is hamstringing us, it's all well and good playing all your forwards at the end of a game when you were 3-0 down. It's going to be an interesting 2 months till Christmas and we will see where we are but we were scared of them today and that comes from the manager

Good effort from the players after we went 3 down but we should never have been in that position.
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He cant play Dembele from the start sadly as he is loan player and he has to balance things with the permanent squad members, however the same applies to Rhodes but I stand what I say. Dembele is awesome and said withing 15 mins they need to get Kouassi off and Dembele on. It wasnt his day today unfortunately.
 
I did the very unusual thing of leaving at 3-0 with the boys; not so much of because the score - but because the referee was possibly the worst I've seen in 30 years and to be honest I was worried my eldest would lose his shit and he may have an issue with his job!!

The chant of F**k the EFL was ringing out loud and clear as I left.

I'd have loved us to come back but disappointingly it wasn't to be

I'm normally quite sanguine about referees; but it looked bent.

All of that said, the first half was always going to be a struggle given the team selection. I love KD and he was fantastic; but at some points in the first half he was coaching Oakley-Booth and pointing to where he needed to be.

I trust Critch sees something in him; but he looked lost; Casey is a bit hit and miss and left us spineless on the middle and they had forever in the ball and loads of space.

Peterborough were better than us and they are a team we need to emulate.
 
BFCJonny said:
We have the strongest squad in the division and the best number 9. Top 2 should certainly be realistic. He’s not getting the most out of the squad.
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Agreed.

We should be pissing this league, but we all (well, mostly, couple of blind ones) know why we're not!
 
I think people need to look at where the other two relegated championship teams are in the table (even if you disregard their points deductions) and they will see that we are actually doing alright.

Yes a loss is annoying. I think we should win every game as a fan ofcourse but its just not realistic.
 
BFC_BFC_BFC said:
It’s a bit of a kick up the backside today tbh. It’s certainly made me realise we’re definitely not going to be Top Two material this season. Well not without improving.

They just looked quite a bit better than us… and I’m not convinced it would have mattered who we selected.
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With all due respect Daz you still have us as little old Blackpool who are lucky to be sharing the same pitch as mighty Peterborough…we need to shake that off , stop worrying about the opposition, play our best 11 and try and win every game. Let them worry about us for a change…we can beat anyone n this division if we play our best 11
 
TANGERINETOWERPOWER said:
With all due respect Daz you still have us as little old Blackpool who are lucky to be sharing the same pitch as mighty Peterborough…we need to shake that off , stop worrying about the opposition, play our best 11 and try and win every game. Let them worry about us for a change…we can beat anyone n this division if we play our best 11
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I’m not sure what gives you that impression ?

I’ve never seen us as ‘little’ anything.. Far from it, although we certainly aren’t the first Club to have dropped to League 1 and had fans with the attitude that they had a god given right to go straight back up.

What’s our best 11 by the way, because I’m fucked if I know and our supporters change their mind with every game?

We were beaten by a better side today… that’s the bottom line.
 
TANGERINETOWERPOWER said:
With all due respect Daz you still have us as little old Blackpool who are lucky to be sharing the same pitch as mighty Peterborough…we need to shake that off , stop worrying about the opposition, play our best 11 and try and win every game. Let them worry about us for a change…we can beat anyone n this division if we play our best 11
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Definitely mate 👍🏼 Heard someone mention today that if we get promoted this season it will be despite Critchley, not because of
 
AllTheBoysAreCheerin' said:
Just poor judgement then? 😉
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Just a better side than us on the day really. Whether that means the manager got it wrong, certain players failed to perform, Norburn wasn’t available, we started too slowly etc.. I’m not sure it really matters.

interesting comment from Keith Southern the other night when asked if he thought we had the talent in the squad to be up there this season…. Awkwardly said he thought we could make play off’s, but probably not automatic.

Personally I just think Peterborough probably had more quality than us.
 
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BFC_BFC_BFC said:
Just a better side than us on the day really. Whether that means the manager got it wrong, certain players failed to perform, Norburn wasn’t available, we started too slowly etc.. I’m not sure it really matters.

interesting comment from Keith Southern the other night when asked if he thought we had the talent in the squad to be up there this season…. Awkwardly said he thought we could make play off’s, but probably not automatic.

Personally I just think Peterborough probably had more quality than us.
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Thats fair comment BUT on another day with a more positive attitude and Dembele and Lavery starting I think we could have won...they wobbled when we got back to 3-2...Critchley had a very poor day at the office and not many would have picked that as a first 11
 
NewburyOne said:
That midfield was never going to be good enough, Dougall aside Carey and Oakley-Boothe were shocking in the first half. In fairness to Carey his performance in the 2nd half was the best he's played this season. The red card killed us, as did the referee with one of the most biased displays. The players will be gutted but they shouldn't be, to play as well as they did with 10 men and get back into a game most would have given up on, deserves great praise. They just need to forget about it and move on. As for Critchley he needs to grow a pair and start being more positive. We desperately need Norburn back.
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Agreed, a midfield 3 containing two non tacklers in Carey and Oakley Boothe, was never going to be good enough. Kenny needed another defensive midfielder along side him. In the absence of Norburn and Virtue I would have played Connolly in front of the back three, with Kenny pushed a bit further forward.
 
BFC_BFC_BFC said:
Just a better side than us on the day really. Whether that means the manager got it wrong, certain players failed to perform, Norburn wasn’t available, we started too slowly etc.. I’m not sure it really matters.

interesting comment from Keith Southern the other night when asked if he thought we had the talent in the squad to be up there this season…. Awkwardly said he thought we could make play off’s, but probably not automatic.

Personally I just think Peterborough probably had more quality than us.
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Possibly, on the day, but I'm not convinced that we couldn't have put out a better side, with better tactic, than they did. We looked a better side than them with ten men playing like a team that wanted to win. Not sure if the earlier poor performance was down to the players on the field or the tactics employed but we did look better with ten men!
 
Victorsponge said:
We were beaten by a better side, they moved the ball quicker and more accurately than we can ever hope to do, no one's fault it's football.
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Totally agree, they moved the ball quickly from the back, their pass completion rate was 85% in the first half and were quicker to the second ball. Rhodes and Kouassi were chasing shadows and that is something Critchley should have taken into account at half-time. I still think he struggles to read games and take the necessary action. We looked ponderous in possession, the midfield is too slow and one paced. Casey was caught cold early in the second half and was unfortunate to be sent off by an erratic referee but I've seen that coming for a few games. P'boro exposed our three man defence too easily and hopefully we can get Gabriel and Lyons up to speed quickly.
 
TANGERINETOWERPOWER said:
Thats fair comment BUT on another day with a more positive attitude and Dembele and Lavery starting I think we could have won...they wobbled when we got back to 3-2...Critchley had a very poor day at the office and not many would have picked that as a first 11
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A positive attitude from who ? The manager certainly sets them up to be positive.

It was only a short time ago that the Manager was being castigated for losing to Derby and starting with Dembele instead of Kouassi. Lavery has been hit and miss this season and so there’s no guarantee as to what you’re going to get.

We could have won with the eleven we started with, but it didn’t happen in the day.

To be honest we had no choice to throw the kitchen sink at them when 3-0 down and 10 men. Similar to what happened with Cheltenham…. You’d never do that from the off though… and as it proved bearing your arse in that way generally results in being spanked on the break…

I m not arsed what team that the armchair wannabes would pick, because the reality is that none of them have a clue… The manager is the one who knows his side, knows the opposition and ultimately has guided us to a decent enough position alll things considered.

We got beat by a quality side, probably the best we’ve seen at BR this season. We’re not a million miles away and we’ll improve before the season’s out.

The fans just need to have a bit of faith instead of constantly looking for a reason to pick fault…
 
BillyRonsonNo7 said:
Let's face it, he's just as stubborn as his two predecessors. We'll be round abouts the top 10 all season but he just doesn't have the skill to manage what is basically a very good squad of players
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I’m not sure we are very good. They looked better than us all over the park today.
Sometimes I think we are decent but mostly I don’t think that we are that good.
 
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Victorsponge said:
We were beaten by a better side, they moved the ball quicker and more accurately than we can ever hope to do, no one's fault it's football.
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They move the ball better in the passing style but so do many teams, but we gifted them some of those goals. Our passing when we go for it with our best players on can be very good and hard to live with for anyone.

Sadly it was too little too late with 10 men when Dembele was on.

For all the talk of how good posh were, they let a side with 10 men outplay them 2nd half and nearly come back from 3 down. But for us giving them a 4th goal they were hanging on at times as we turned up the heat with knackered players.

Imagine if we could do that with 11 men from the off and weren't so sloppy.
 
Seainsea said:
Rhodes and Kouassi were chasing shadows and that is something Critchley should have taken into account at half-time
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That's the issue playing with them 2, no pace at all so pressing is slower, especially as they weren't backed up as closely by the rest so it was easy to get past them.

Compare to yhe past, Yates, Lavery were like men possessed and backed up by the team behind them like in the 2nd half.
 
BFC_BFC_BFC said:
To be honest we had no choice to throw the kitchen sink at them when 3-0 down and 10 men. Similar to what happened with Cheltenham…. You’d never do that from the off though… and as it proved bearing your arse in that way generally results in being spanked on the break…
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I don't think people are asking for that, but just to show similar endeavour, belief, positivity, style of play, tactics.

Don't go completely gung-ho but you've got to add some elements of that 10 man performance into games far more.

We pressed them far better with 10 which shows it's possible of done right and they couldn't pass it around us so easily.

A lot of the quality did come through Dembele funnily enough.

That old issue of getting from defence to midfield or midfield to attack is largely solved with him on, meaning pointless passing moves then turn into attacking chances, which leads to that positive style.
 
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